Waddington Hepburn Library steps crumbling

WADDINGTON  Years of weathering has taken their toll on the Hepburn Librarys historic front concrete steps.

Some of the concrete steps are starting to deteriorate on the risers, Library Board Treasurer Vicki L. MacDonald said Wednesday. Simply put, they are crumbling.

Its also an eyesore, Ms. MacDonald said.

Aesthetically, there are a number of things that should be done, but were concentrating on getting the preventative work done first, including restoring the risers and patching the concrete.

The library Board of Trustees is hoping to repair the steps before next winter.

Any time there is a crack, water can get in there and expand within the cracks as it freezes and break apart the concrete, she said.

The steps were last restored in 2006.

The longer you let this stuff go, the worse its going to get over time, and the repairs will be more expensive, Ms. MacDonald said. And since there has been so much money put into the steps, I would ask the board to put that on a priority list of things to be done.

The town is responsible for the buildings upkeep and has set aside a maintenance fund dedicated to the library and the Old Town Hall.

The library has undergone a number of restoration projects in the last several years. The last project, completed in 2011, replaced the roof, restored the windows and repaired surface masonry work.

Its really the Town Halls turn this time, Ms. McDonald said.

The town is expected to solicit bids for the Old Town Hall project as early as this week, Councilor Robert Dalton said.

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